Your tenancy

A tenancy agreement is a legal document. It explains what you need to do and what we need to do for you while you are living in your home.

Here we give general guidance only. For more detailed advice about your individual circumstances, please contact us or refer to other information we provide. You can read a summary of our Tenancy Policy online or you can ask us for a full copy to be sent to you. This sets out which tenancy you will receive when moving into one of our rented properties.

Tenancy types

Assured tenancy

Most tenants will have an assured tenancy. You have the right to live in the property as long as you keep to the terms of your tenancy agreement.

Secure tenancy

Some of our tenants have secure tenancies – usually if they have been our tenants for a long time (since before 15 January 1989) or, in a few cases, if they took over a secure tenancy through a mutual exchange.

Assured shorthold tenancy

Assured shorthold tenancies are for a fixed period. These help us make the best use of the homes we have available.

Fixed term (with a probationary period): If you are a new tenant, you may be given a fixed term tenancy with a probationary period. We treat the first year as a probationary period and, if we’re satisfied that you have met your responsibilities as a tenant, the tenancy would continue for a further five years (ie a total of six years).

If you live in one of our Key Living Schemes you will be given a six- month fixed term that continues as a periodic tenancy so long as there are no breaches of the tenancy and you continue to meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme.

Demoted tenancies

If you are a secure or assured tenant but you break the terms of your tenancy, or your visitors persistently behave in an anti-social way, we may apply to the court to demote your tenancy. Read more about demoted tenancies.

Your rights

A tenancy agreement gives you a range of rights, some of which include the following:

the tenancy agreement cannot be changed without your agreement.

you can stay in your home for as long as you choose, as long as you keep to the terms of your tenancy agreement.

we must repair and maintain certain parts of your home and keep it in a safe condition.

you can have a lodger or can sub-let part of your home, provided you have our consent.

you will be given opportunities to get involved and influence services.

you can see information your landlord holds about you.

you will be treated fairly and not be unfairly discriminated against by us.

Your responsibilities

Everyone has the right to enjoy life in their own way, providing they don’t disturb those living near them. A good neighbour will tolerate and understand the different lifestyles of others.

You will have various responsibilities as our tenant. These will depend on the type of tenancy you have and can include the following: